A Sonny Football Fantasy
The Dolphins have a QB!
by son of a son of a shula
(mid-season 2018)
It’s been a long long time since the Miami Dolphins had this kind of leader and winner at the Quarterback position. You know how long its been, since Dan Marino retired that’s how long. This new young signal 
caller has taken the league by storm. From the first day he walked into the huddle he had the command and respect you’d expect a grizzled veteran to have but Mac Notwen has that certain swag and fiery personality to be an instant leader. Although Mac is a vocal leader it is his play on the field that earns him the respect of his team mates. Many have come and gone since Marino retired and its been quite a challenge for the Dolphins to hit on a guy like Mac, a player who refuses to let his team lose and a player no one ever believes he is out of a game. The Dolphins still have some defensive issues that aren’t quite as apparent with this high powered offense averaging 31 points a game.
In the two games thus far that Miami has fallen behind they were able to, under the leadership of .jpg)
Mac Notwen, put together strong second halves to catch up and subsequently pull out wins late. How refreshing it is for Fins fans who knew they were done when Mac’s predecessor, Ryan Tannehill, was behind in a game. They wanted like hell for the team to fightback to scratch and claw and pull out narrow wins but it just never seemed to happen. Not in the Mac era, those close games seem to always swing in the Fins favor now. Mac always seems to hit on a big play in big moments. Whether he avoids a sack and runs for good yardage or fires a perfect ball over the middle to his Tight End or hits the defense between the eyes with a gorgeous deep ball, he is always making plays and scoring Touchdowns.
Said one jubilant fan leaving from the Dolphins last win, “Where have you been all my life, Mac?”. Dolphin nation is crazy with eagerness and anticipation of what Mac will do in the playoffs. 
The last time Miami was in a playoff game was back in 2008, ten grueling long years ago. At 7-1 this Miami team seems a lock to make the playoffs and make some serious noise while there. It is amazing what Mac has done for this team. Without many changes in the offseason the Dolphins were not expected to contend for a division title but Mac Notwen came in and has rejuvenated this team to what many are saying is the spirit of the Undefeated Season era Dolphins. With four 4th quarter comeback wins so far this team has far outdone the Tannehill team of last year who only had one 4th quarter win. The team is inspired, the fans are inspired and the wins are piling up what a great time to be a Dolphin fan.
Slap slap – Son wake up, wake up you’re talking in your sleep
What was I saying?
(laughing) You were going on and on about some QB who is going to make the Dolphins great, ha ha ha
Yeah, just a dream, Tannehill is still our QB?
**********
Back to reality. 3-5 and 0-4 in the division. Everything was supposed to be different.
In the 2015 AFC East the Quarterbacks are as follows:
Pats – Brady – 6th round
Stej – Fitzpatrick
– 7th round
Bills – Tyrod Taylor – 6th round
Dolphins – Tannehill – 1st round 8th overall
Guess who’s 0-4 against the division?
Do you realize the 2015 Dolphins:
Haven’t kicked a meaningful field goal once this entire season.
That the offense hasn’t scored a fourth quarter TD that would either get them back in a game or take a lead late.
**************
Sometimes you gotta win 41-38, we just can never nut up to have a game like that anymore.
Even if you consider that Buffalo got 2 gift TD’s, the blatant holding on Suh and the fumble where we should have had it on the 20, take those away and they still would have won 19-17. We have to score more Touchdowns. Not just piles against shit teams but TD’s every week against anyone.
(It turns out this team doesn’t have Philbin’s personality at all, they have la de da, dum de dum, Ryan Tannehill’s persona. Oy!)
FWIW, I don’t think the team as a whole is bad or even should be bad. I look around the league and analyze teams rosters as they play and I always see primarily the same types of teams across the league. Some vets, some stars, some journeymen, some guys we all know from drafts as we see what they’ll become, and a lot of unknowns and undrafted guys. Man for man we stack up with every other team in the league. “It’s in the way that you use it”
At this point, although I really like Dan Campbell, my wish is that the Dolphins bring a Prodigal Son’s Son home. Son of a son. Mike Shula is ready to fill his father’s shoes and lead the Dolphins to glory. Mike is doing now what his father taught him a long time ago. And that is to let the players play, play to their strengths, have better athletes and use them to win in a system that fits THEM and not some scheme where square pegs are constantly forced into round holes.
The biggest problem with trying to bring Mike Shula in is that he might be busy until early February. Consequently Dan Campbell is here as is Mike Tannenbaum and perhaps the hiring of Mike Shula would see the continued employment of Dan Campbell in an Asst Head Coach capacity if he were open to it. Mike Shula is ready and he should be brought to Miami, where he belongs.
(a little loose with the prodigal son analogy, work with me here please)
Son wonders what it may have been like with Keuchly, Eifert and Cousins with 2 years behind Moore…
Finsmob Unleashed 
Hull will be on ST’s since Paysinger is out. But I’d like to see Vigil replace Sheppard in the middle.
This is what we hoped for Tripp. We need Vigil to step it up.
I actually liked all our UDFA LBers Hewitt and Vigil have been involved , now Hull. Do we still have Luc or no ??
No Luc was cut out of camp. He’s a hammer inside but he’s not good in open space. He would have been a good 3-4 ILB back in the day when offenses tried to pound the ball. He’s a liability against spread offenses.
Luc was released and still remains unsigned.
…from BR
How do you measure the development and the impact of the quarterback?
“I think it’s a lot of things,” Campbell said. “I mean certainly you want wins, but not everything is about the quarterback. You don’t win and lose just because of the quarterback, certainly he’s got a huge part in that, but I think you look at a little bit of everything aside from that. You look at how he handles the huddle, you look at the way he makes the downfield throws, you look at his tempo, when he’s in the pocket what does he look like?”
“To me, those are things Ryan is showing that he’s becoming more comfortable with and he’s continued to grow in those areas.”
So, what about those areas?
His tempo has been good in and out of the huddle (Dolphins rank ninth in offensive tempo, according to Football Outsiders). He appears to have command of that huddle, but that’s a hard trait to quantify.
However, he is among the most pressured and most quickly pressured quarterbacks in the league (11th-highest pressure percentage, ninth-shortest time to sack). The Dolphins’ protection problems have been among some of the worst in the league over the past three years, so it’s hard to get a clean evaluation of his pocket presence. He looks like he’s looking for pressure sometimes, but it’s hard to blame him.
We all see it but people still look at pressure as a pocket presence issue for RT. When there is no pocket, there is no pocket presence. Do people forget RT escaping pressure with his athletic ability making throws for completions multiple times or is that all forgotten because he took a sack that people from their couch said he should have avoided? LOL
GD, Vigil has replaced Sheppard here and there but he’s not ready for the full work load. Misi and Jenkins are our main LBs who stay in for nickel and dime. No doubt LB will be a priority in the offseason. We need to add an impact 3 down LB preferably MLB but if not, maybe a SOLB and move Misi back to the middle. Sheppard is only playing MLB because that’s the only position he can play and we have deemed him as part of our best 3 LBs.
Vigil has received roughly 13% on defense, mostly early on, then in mop up duty vs Tenn & Houston.
I wish they’d play him more, but apparently he’s not showing it in practice. He can’t be worse than Sheppard who ranks near bottom in PFF stats.
Let Vigil get some meaningful snaps, get into the flow of the game instead of just spot duty.
Jaylon Smith would look great in a Miami uniform.
Posted this on the other blog cause that is where I made the original comment, but:
Feel bad about something. I judged Trent Richardson wrong. I said on here that I met him at the office. He was with his brother who bonded someone out for selling MJ. Thought that was the reason for his lack of production (hanging with the wrong crowd). Well I met a guy yesterday who was bonding his brother out and found out he was the back up running back to Trent at Escambia HS. He is still friends with him and said that Trent’s mother has been very seriously ill with lupus for years and they don’t how long she will live. Said it was killing Trent to be away from his mother and he was playing with an empty heart. Playing football was like just going through the motions for him and hard to concentrate on the game. His mother was all he thought about. Says he still works out hard with the thought of trying to come back some day.
God Bless Trent and his family! I apologize cause I ass-u-me(d) the wrong thing.
Takes a man to admit when he was wrong. Thanks for sharing and yes, it does shed new light on Trent’s professional journey and shows how there’s still a life outside of football for all players that goes on 7 days a week.
I wish Trent the best.
That’s touching and we fans and media sometimes forget these guys are human, not just numbers who we want to see score TDs.
Miami Dolphins Cheer @MDCheer 7m7 minutes ago
Visit @MDC_Brooke and Etta at John Offerdahl’s Gridiron Grill-off today from 3-5pm!
lol a bad snap from the canes center and people across football are blaming tanny for not catching the snap.
Tim Knight says:
November 14, 2015 at 3:51 pm
We all see it but people still look at pressure as a pocket presence issue for RT. When there is no pocket, there is no pocket presence. Do people forget RT escaping pressure with his athletic ability making throws for completions multiple times or is that all forgotten because he took a sack that people from their couch said he should have avoided? LOL
Reply
Post of the year! 😀
rgs33, I’d like to see us get Zach Brown from Tenn in FA for 2016. He’s coming into his own and could make a very good MLB for the Phins.
Then draft a guy as well, plus we’ll have our Zach Vigil & Hull with another year under their belt.
This could really shore up the LB corps in Miami.
Good call, yes a guy like this in FA and also draft a quality LB early within the top 3 rounds and make this group more talented.
‘Do people forget RT escaping pressure with his athletic ability making throws for completions multiple times or is that all forgotten because he took a sack that people from their couch said he should have avoided? ‘
versus people from their couch saying the sack wasnt his fault.
Yes because more times than not he had no time to do anything but take the sack and not make a big mistake. I think many people have been off on his pocket presence since day one. He keeps his eyes down field, stands tall in the pocket and isn’t afraid like some other QBs who bail immediately. Then he gets criticized for it. He slips and slides through pressure in the pocket all the time but people seem to forget those because of a sack here and there. It’s silly I tell ya! 🙂
tim,
i wasnt saying anything about tanny rather making fun of your ‘from the couch’ comment. no matter the opinion we are all making comments from our couch. none of us are right or wrong in our opinions. well other then randy he is always wrong.
I make my comments from standing on the table at my local sports bar!
Yes I know, but some are wrong in what they see. 🙂
Tim Knight says:
November 14, 2015 at 4:35 pm
Yes I know, but some are wrong in what they see. 🙂
yes, but it is rude to talk about mike when he isnt here to defend himself
By Andrea Noble – The Washington Times – Friday, November 13, 2015
Some states ban smiling in driver’s license photos, but wearing a colander on one’s head is apparently allowed.
A Massachusetts woman this week won the right to wear a colander on her head in her driver’s license photo after citing religious reasons. Lindsay Miller identifies as a “Pastafarian” and member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, which some critics call a parody religion.
She tried to wear the kitchen utensil in her driver’s license photo this year but the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles denied her request. However, after intervention by the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center the RMV recently reversed its stance.
Ms. Miller said she was delighted that the agency allowed her to don a colander for her driver’s license, which was issued Thursday.
“While I don’t think the government can involve itself in matters of religion, I do hope this decision encourages my fellow Pastafarian Atheists to come out and express themselves as I have,” Ms. Miller said.
The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster spawned out of a letter that Oregon State University graduate Bobby Henderson penned to the Kansas State Board of Education in 2005. He wrote to protest the board’s decision to permit the teaching intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in public school science classes, suggesting that students should “hear multiple viewpoints” of how the universe came to be, including the idea that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created it.
And though many describe the religion as a farce, believers defend it as legitimate, stating on their website that the religion is “backed by hard science. Anything that comes across as humor or satire is purely coincidental.”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/multimedia/image/license_redactedjpg/
Personally I’m sick of religious reasons. We can all make up some religious basis to defy the law of the land. Go back to your homeland if you can’t accept it. It’s all BS anyway.
Shows how kooy people are and how our stupid society tries to be so PC that they make themselves/courts look stupid.
kooky ^^
Someone left the vacuum on.
Not as scintillating as the Tanne talk, but:
http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/11/14/9735298/ohio-state-punter-come-on-dude?ref=yfp
Damn Wallaby LOL
Tim Knight,
“…He slips and slides through pressure in the pocket all the time but people seem to forget those because of a sack here and there. It’s silly I tell ya! :)”
***
And this is why this debate is just pointless because opinions are just so different….or maybe they just change given the conversation. That statement does not describe the QB I’ve been watching for 4 years…not even close. Do you really believe Tannehill moves well inside the pocket or has good pocket presence, Tim? I’d put 10 sacks on him a season. How can two geniuses like us see things so differently? Lol
Ok, so he used to be applauded for how he stood tall in the pocket, didn’t flinch, took vicious shots and still got the pass off most of the time.
As teams saw they could manhandle Miami’s OL they increased that pressure coming after him. Now it’s hey, Tanny doesn’t have pocket presence. 🙄
Yeah we definitely disagree because you’ve ignored how bad the pass pro has been for 3 years.
Tannehill is not the problem.
Let’s start off with this. At the end of the 2013 season coming off of a makeshift OL, Hickey was handed Mike Pouncey having hip surgery, a 2nd year player in Dallas Thomas, Nate Garner and Sam Brenner. That’s it.
So what did he have to do? Sign Brandon Albert, Shelley Smith and Jason Fox in FA, draft Ja’Wuan James 1st and Billy Turner 3rd. He had to do that just to try and be competent. We’re only into the 2nd year of this OL turnover and we also lost Albert to a knee injury last year and now James this year for 4-6 weeks. Albert also wasn’t ready to start this season. We have yet to settle in on the OL and it continues to be a problem. We sign Jordan Cameron who’s a seam busting TE yet we have to keep him in blocking because of this issue.
You know OL and how chemistry is important. Then we draft Douglas in the 4th rd this year and add a guy like Linkenbach in FA to replace Garner’s role. Well this group hasn’t had that opportunity yet. Yes they have had good moments because I do think this unit has potential, it’s just not there yet.
That’s just the reality, man. It has nothing to do with being a Tanny homer which I’m not. But he has improved by leaps and bounds regardless of these issues that are absolutely real.
gdp
This is not a defense of the OL, I’ve said multiple times they haven’t played well. In spite of that, I do not see a QB with good pocket presence. He takes sacks he doesn’t have to for numerous reasons and does it even when his protection is good. Then, he misses plays to take a short completion anyway. Of course it’s a team effort, but that doesn’t mean that these things can’t be an issue for Tannehill as an individual player, does it? Do you really think other teams don’t scheme to take advantage of his weaknesses? Weaknesses that will be magnified in the playoffs…just as they are for every player and team.
Look at his numbers the last few years and keep saying what you’re saying. It really makes no sense. Our defense has been the worst run defense for the last 14 games going back to last year and our OL is a work in progress, Yeah that whole LOS thing isn’t real. Come on, man!
WoooooHooooooo!!!! Herd is 38-0 at the half. Like one of the players said in a pregame interview today, I feel sorry for FIU playing us at home today. It’s Senior day, the crash anniversary. A big day on our schedule.
I really am liking our freshman QB. He came in and has been starting since about the 3rd or 4th game after our starting QB got hurt. Chase Litton, from Tampa Remember that name. I think he is going to be a good one. Reminds me of another QB we had about 20 years ago. 😉
Tim,
Ok, we definitely just see different things. I can see those things with the OL and still see the things I see in Tanny. For me, they’re not mutually exclusive. You’re saying it’s purely a protection issue. Got it. Thanks!
No, the run defense being bad plays a major role in TOP and that’s not a good position to be in. We start off too many times deep in our own end or behind in score too often.
This isn’t just a Tannehill thing, this is a team problem. Forget Tannehill for now. Let’s say our QB is Mac Nowten. The LOS on both sides of the ball is still is an issue for this team and we added Suh. WTF?!!!
Tim,
Again, I can evaluate Tannehill without all that other stuff being thrown into the conversation. Just like we do for ever other player. You view it differently, that’s cool. I am not angry or mad at people because they see things differently than me. Hell, I thought John Beck had a chance to be a pretty good NFL QB! Lol
LOL, me too on John Beck.
Randy, nobody is saying Tannehill is without fault or that he doesn’t have deficiencies, all QBs do – even the elite ones. But the LOS is a big concern for us on both sides of the ball no matter who is playing QB. We always play from behind in some way. I don’t like the makeup of this team because it’s consistent with making the same mistakes week after week.
I’m actually all for Ross starting over from the top and keeping the best we have on our roster and going from there. Something has to change. It reeks of the same smell the last 7 years.
Tim,
That’s just not how I look at things. As I said earlier, for me, it’s about whether I think he can take a team thru the playoffs and win a championship. The QB in today’s NFL has a bigger impact on the results of games than any other player…and it’s not close. So, I put even more emphasis on whether or not that position can ultimately take a team and win. I don’t think Tannehill does that unless he has a really talented and good team around him. We are far from that as a team. So, does it take 3-5 more years to build the sort of team Tannehill can win with? Is that where this franchise is?
***
It’s funny how folks are now saying it doesn’t really matter whether or not Tanny can carry this team to wins because that is exactly what people around here were saying the past couple of off seasons. It was all about: “This team will go as far as Tanny can take them.” Now it’s: “Tanny just needs to not lose games for us.” Lol
I’ve never considered Tannehill a gunslinging take us over the top type QB. He’s more like Montana who relied on skill players to make plays. Marino was a gunslinger. But even he couldn’t overcome team deficiencies as we all watched. Remember Marino had 5 INT games, but because he did what he did in 1984 he was always given a pass. If RT did that tomorrow we’d say time to move on. It’s absurd.
I do think we can win a championship with RT, but he’s not going to carry us on his back. Most QBs aren’t capable of that, some can do that even though they still need support. 11 on 11 is hardly one guy. 😉
We’ll see what happens the rest of the way this season and then next year because he will be the starting QB regardless of new coaching staff and/or front office.
Tim,
The whole: “It’s not a Tanny problem…” kind of statement just doesn’t resonant with me…that is just deflecting from the issues that are brought up with the way he plays. More often than not he does not come through on money downs. Even when everything else is good on the play, he still doesn’t consistently make plays in crucial moments, and it’s those little things I keep talking about that often make the difference on 3rd downs and in the red zone. Is it really too much to ask for a QB who overcomes poor field position or spotty OL play or a bad play call or a drop here or there and finds a way to win the damn game? Isn’t that why they’re paid the big money? Lol
You really only highlight his negative plays. It’s like you erase half or more of his other plays to make your point. That’s not how I evaluate him.
Tim,
Yes, Montana won with tons of good players around him. But, he also managed the pocket very well. I just don’t see the same thing from Tannehill. I see a poor man’s Drew Bledsoe….maybe.
***
Gotta run, watching Iowa State trying to hold on for a win against #8 Oklahoma State’s at the moment!
***
I hope Tanny kicks ass this weekend! Go Dolphins!
‘ Is it really too much to ask for a QB who overcomes poor field position or spotty OL play or a bad play call or a drop here or there and finds a way to win the damn game? Isn’t that why they’re paid the big money?’
yeah, i mean come on dammit. tanny you suck, you should be able to overcome every other aspect of the game cause no one else on your team will. and while you are at it can you play some defense too.
Chase Litton, from Tampa Remember that name. I think he is going to be a good one. Reminds me of another QB we had about 20 years ago.
__________________________
Herd, ya mean a skinny Leftwich? 😉
lol mmmmmm…..NO.
Hey, sorry about how things turned out in the FF matchup last week. I had no idea until I looked on Thursday evening to see if I had anyone playing. I thought I had lost too.
No prob Hon, it’s just a game with no monetary investment. I got mad cause I’m overly competitive and I’ve been playing catch up since it made me draft 10th every friggin round…LOL
I was excited to actually hand you just your 2nd loss…Oh well, you’re gonna be tough to beat looking at your lineup and bench.
Yep, the vacuum is definitely on.
Were Not Good but I am going to go watch the game anyway
1-2-3-DOLPHINS!
3-2-1 Go the Dolphins as the clock runs out on them again.
OH FUCK!
LMAO@GDP
Gameday Eve Update
DOLPHINS-EAGLES
Howie 23-17 MIA
Rock 32-24 MIA
T-Pod 31-13 PHI
Piggy 27-14 MIA
Old 23-17 PHI
Book 27-21 MIA
MikeE 28-20 PHI
Al 26-24 MIA
Bold 31-17 PHI
Stang 31-17 MIA
WERE NOT GOOD!
This is pretty funny. The replies after the photo are hilarious imo.
?ref_src=twsrctfw
LOL
Hang in there Tanny, I got you back…or is your jersey on my back. 😀
your^ and not my hood rat spelling yo. LOL
I am just sick to death of this!
I swear, if they ever search me at the airport I will be angry, and as far as every Mother Fucker I ever see again wearing an all black coverall from head to toe I will tell them to get fucking out of my country now. The Cops can take me away While those fuck’s have an AK underneath.
Fuck this shit! I dont carry no gun but I will throw my AX right that fucks head.
MUSLIM SCUM OF THE EARTH!
I bet I am not politically incorrect but I dont care anymore!
Spencer Durango looks like he lost a little weight!
Might not be a bad pick in the 2nd
why do that always put that guy hillary front and center of all the other candidates. how about sticking his ugly ass on the end for one debate
I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I just figured out the Mac Notwen thing.
Not with this crowd. Luckily, you did it late enough at night when there are likely to be few if any witnesses.
Tim Knight says:
November 14, 2015 at 6:16 pm
I’ve never considered Tannehill a gunslinging take us over the top type QB. He’s more like Montana who relied on skill players to make plays.
———–
Were you drinking heavily or perhaps taking mescaline tonight, Tim? lol